Linda Akrasi Kotey
22 August 2008
The leader of Ghana's delegation to the Ecowas Parliament, Stephen Balado Manu, has disclosed that come 2010 parliamentarians who will serve at the ECOWAS parliament will be elected individually on their own merit. He added that the Polls will be conducted in a manner similar to that of the National General Elections and those who will emerge victorious will then become bonafide members of the ECOWAS Parliament for a specific term.
Addressing the media in parliament yesterday, the head of the delegation said representatives are supposed to be elected by direct universal suffrage, by citizens of Member States. Pending when Members of Parliament are elected, the National Assemblies or Parliaments of Member States are empowered to elect members from among themselves.
He noted that the electoral bodies of respective countries would be responsible for the delineation of national constituencies. On the basis of national exigencies, having due regard to 30% gender balance in an eligible place. He observed that the existing system of selection has deficiency in terms of stamping its authority on decisions that affect its people. These deficiencies are seriously militating against the effectiveness and the viability of the House and thus the quality of democracy.
Hon. Balado mentioned that concrete reforms that the ECOWAS Parliament is adopting to develop a process that is fairer, more open and transparent and more likely to promote participation and choice from the grassroots would be announced later.
He reiterated that these reforms can go a long way towards democratizing the ECOWAS Parliament's means for selecting its candidates to improve its own public image and the quality of democracy within the sub-region.
The head of the delegation, who is also the first deputy majority whip said the new approach towards the effectiveness of the ECOWAS Parliament is that people are going to be elected as ECOWAS Parliamentarians, whereas before and now this privilege was bestowed only on elected National Parliamentarians.
Each Member State would be a Constituency, while initially maintaining the number of seats allocated to each country. The ECOWAS Parliament has 120 seats. Each member state has a guaranteed minimum of five (5) seats. The remaining seats are then shared on the basis of population. Consequently, Nigeria has thirty five (35) seats, Ghana eight (8), Cote D'ivore seven (7), while Burkina Faso, Gunea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have six seats each. The others are Benin, Cape Verde, the Gambia, Gunea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, who have five (5) seats each.
The current Parliament, which is in transition at present, functions in an advisory capacity. This means that it does not as of now, have legislative powers and its members are not directly elected. Representatives are elected by their National Parliaments to the Community Parliament. Notwithstanding these limitations, the ECOWAS Parliament is empowered to consider issues concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens, interconnection of energy networks, interconnection of communication links between member states, increased co-operation in the area of radio, television and other intra and inter community media links.
In relation with the respective national Parliaments, members who serve at the ECOWAS Parliament are enjoined to keep the national Parliaments of Member States regularly informed of its activities. The question about how people of the West African sub-region should be represented at the ECOWAS Parliament has been discussed at various levels within ECOWAS itself. Various discussions underscored the need for competition and grassroot participation in selecting candidates.
The ECOWAS Parliament is also consulted on matters relating to the public health policies for the community, common educational policy through harmonization of existing systems.
In relation with the respective national Parliaments, members who serve at the ECOWAS Parliament are enjoined to keep the national Parliaments of Member States regularly informed of its activities.
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